Watch as careless driver causes cyclist to fall despite not touching her
A driver has been fined more than GBP1,000 for causing a cyclist to fall from her bike despite not touching her. Footage captured on a helmet cam was used to show the motorist was driving without due care and attention as he passed. The cyclist can be heard saying “slow down” as she comes off her bike, falling into grass at the side of the narrow lane.
Motorist, Paul Miley initially denied the offence but later changed his plea when he appeared before magistrates in Northampton, reports Northants Live. Footage, submitted to Northamptonshire Police’s Operation Snap, showed the 52-year-old, of Main Street, Ashby St Ledger, driving towards cyclists on the track near to the village in a Land Rover Defender on June 11 last year. The group had been riding along the single-track road when the vehicle drove towards them without slowing, causing one of the cyclists to fall off her bike.
The footage was uploaded to the Force’s Operation Snap online portal and when reviewed police said it proved beyond doubt that Miley had shown no consideration for other road users. PC Mo Allsopp-Clarke of Northamptonshire Police’s Safer Roads Team said: “Miley initially pleaded not guilty to the offence, claiming he had driven extremely slowly past the group and was unable to move further across. “The video evidence clearly showed that Miley had no consideration for the cyclists on that day, and when he appeared at Magistrates’ Court, he changed his plea to guilty.
His driving fell below the standard of a competent and careful driver, which could have very easily ended in tragic consequences, and I’m pleased the courts have dealt with the driver positively. “Drivers should always try to give cyclists and other vulnerable road users at least 1.5m of space and pass slowly. In this instance, on this road, that would not be possible.
“On this occasion, the correct thing to do would have been to come to a stop to allow the cyclists to pass safely. It takes a couple of seconds and then everyone can continue their journey in safety.”
The cyclist fell from her bike
Miley pleaded guilty when he appeared before magistrates on Friday, March 18. He received five points on his driving licence was fined GBP1,008 and ordered to pay GBP100 in costs and a GBP101 victim surcharge.
PC Allsopp-Clarke added: “The success of Operation Snap is down to the continued support from the public, who enable us to take action against driving offences we otherwise wouldn’t see. Hopefully this case demonstrates that we take all instances of poor driving very seriously and we will prosecute offenders accordingly, which can only be a good thing to help keep our roads safer.” People can report driving offences by uploading video evidence via a simple online portal on the Force website and completing a form, which automatically creates a witness statement to provide a full account of the incident.
Reports are then triaged by trained police staff, who check the footage to ensure it falls within the scheme’s remit and contains clear views of an offender’s number plates so they can be identified. If it matches the Operation Snap criteria, police officers in the Safer Roads Team then examine the footage. If a driving offence is identified, legal proceedings will begin where required.
The team only has 14 days to investigate any offences and members of the public are asked to submit their videos as soon after the incident as possible to allow the maximum time for the footage to be reviewed. Anyone who submits footage via Operation Snap can find out the outcome of their submission by following the link on their confirmation email which will take them to a monthly update. For more information about Operation Snap or to submit video footage, visit the Northamptonshire Police website at www.northants.police.uk/OpSnap
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